Wordless Wednesday: Gift Giving

(I know it's a bad phone pic - but since I blogged about the gift yesterday and my sister posted this to her blog yesterday - I wanted to share it here...she loved them!)

Back Blogging: A Christmas Gift

My Grandmother is in her 90's. She has had hip surgery and a stroke. She lives in an assisted living community near my parents. She is amazing.

Every year at her birthday, Christmas, Mother's Day, etc, we have many discussion regarding what to get her. She's not the easiest to buy for...and she's in her 90's living in an assisted living community. a small studio apartment and wears the same clothes she's had for years. What to buy her? A new cd? (She has trouble remembering how the CD player works.) A new DVD? (She can't remember how to switch from TV to DVD.) New bath towels and sheets? (She thinks that's just silly.) A new picture? (Only if it's family members!)

For Christmas each year all she asks for is a calendar. My sisters and I make a family calendar each year with pictures of the grandkids and other such pictures. It's her favorite gift. So...what to get her?

This year I decided early on what I was going to do. When we were kids Grandmother sewed. Alot. When shorts were first allowed in school and they had to be super long and you couldn't find them in the store, Grandmother made them. Our Christmas dresses? She made them. My first formal for Brazos Belles in Waco? She made it. But what I think I remember most is that she made us satin pillowcases. Friends, we had THE BEST pillowcases around. Our friends were envious because they were that awesome. (I may or may not be playing this up a tad.)

So, over the summer I learned to sew. It all started with dog harnesses and quickly became a skirt and a dress. Grandmother was so impressed and excited that I was learning that I KNEW for Christmas this year -- yep, Satin Pillowcases.

Can I tell you how nervous I was?! I'd only sewn cotton. And they had to be just right. Alan and I LITERALLY felt EVERY. SINGLE. BOLT. of satin/sateen fabric in Sherman. ALL of Joann's and ALL of Hobby Lobby before I made my pic. Then I decided it needed a bit of embellishment so I added lace.

Then I panicked! I took all my bits to church and a friend at church showed me how to cut them and then talked me through the sewing. Then I went home and was on my own! MY machine. I honestly almost gave up before I started...but perservered and tada -- pillowcases!

Truly a labor of love.

And oh so worth it. When she opened the box with the pillowcases she was speechless. She was so excited to find out I had made them myself. The next day she came over for dinner and told me she'd put them on the bed as decorations -- for anyone to see. It's safe to say she loved them. And I loved making her something she could and would use and enjoy. The joy of it all...

Flashback - Icemaggedon 2013

So it all started on Thursday the 5th of December.  I took off the day to attend Robyn's mom's funeral and to then take the girls to the family meal.  The girls stayed with us that night so we got them up and ready and then took them to daycare.  Then we got ourselves ready and headed to the funeral.  It was COLD!  After the funeral Alan went to work and I went to get the girls from daycare and take them to the meal.  Since there were rumors of ice coming down later in the day, I signed them out and said, "See you tomorrow".  We went to the meal and ate good food and had fun fellowship and then cleaned up and each one headed out.  At the end of the meal Ally was tired, but the family needed to go by Robyn's step-dad's so I took Ally saying, "IF (it is Texas, right?!) it gets bad she can just stay with us, but I'm sure we'll see you later!"  Off we went and came home so she could nap.  About halfway through her nap I find out school's letting out early due to ICE coming down and STICKING!  Um...well...guess who's staying! And stay she did! :) From then until Monday when it wasn't so incredibly dangerous - and I was sure we were going back to work. (We didn't go back to work until Friday!) So - here's a little walk down memory lane in pictures from the week.

What We've Been Up To (Otherwise titled: Bad blogger updates world)

Bad Blogger Updates World:

I'm told way to opften that I don't blog enough and that people wish I would more. I suppose I just feel like my life is boring (compared to my mom friends) and picture-less (thanks to Lily's destruction of my camera on my phone and my outdated camera...darn the newfangled technology that keeps outdating our fancy gadgets).

So I just don't. Sad...I know. But - it's Thursday...the day that I occasionally blog (Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real) but thanks to the flu last week and recovering this week I don't have one single picture to share that fits the post. So I thought - 'what the heck' I'll tell you what's happening in our world...and if you're lucky - I'll find a random picture to share - just cause. So - here goes:

Alan:

Alan is working. He works 8-5 Monday and Tuesday, 12-9 Wednesday and Thursday, and his weekends alternate. One Friday is a half day/off Saturday and the next is all day Friday/1/2 day Saturday. We obviously prefer the first option. When he isn't working at work, he's working at home. He does the accounts for the church and the symphony orchestra here in town. He keeps busy. He also is in a band (Bad Hat) playing his accordion. Little Allison (who really isn't so little anymore) has him wrapped around her little finger...tightly. They adore each other...and I love to watch them together! Sweet Clarissa thinks he hung the moon. When we pull into our driveway her first question/statement is "Alan home?" If I say no, she says, "He at work? He come home soon." He is so good with them. He got a new study Bible for Christmas and I love seeing my husband come home from work and pick it up. Love him.

Mercy:

Oh my sweet Mercy. She could sooo live without Lily in our lives! That said, she is still her Momma's baby and knows it. Her favorite place to be during the day is in my lap with me rubbing her belly. At night, you can find her curled up at my back. Which Alan loves...or not. We've fought fleas this year like nothing else with her. It so sad to see her just itch and itch. Bless her heart. She's so used to having me home (Icemaggedon, Christmas break, flu) that she is simply unimpressed with the phrase "Go to Bed". She kinda looks at me like yeah right and sits wherever she is. Her favorite part of the day is a walk with Alan...she dances in circles as he gets his coat and shoes on and practically prances down the sidewalk. I'm talking with Donna about doing theraphy dog testing for her and then taking her to nursing homes to sit with the residents. We will see...

Lily:

Oh Lily...what a mess she is! She's growing up. Really. You won't notice it when you first come over, or if someone rings the doorbell or walks down our sidewalk (how dare they). But she is. She was even allowed to stay out of her crate a few nights not too long ago, but she's quite the cover hog and it really confused her becuase 'go to bed' means get in your crate and sleep...not get in mom's bed. She's back to sleeping in her crate and happily so. She graduated from her obedience classes and still knows her commands 2 weeks later! She passed her CGC and I will send in her paperwork soon to get her tag. (CGC - Canine Good Citizen test...means she can be polite...in public...in defined situations...sometimes -- but please don't expect it if you ring the doorbell...I'm just saying) She is quite the cuddle bug. She loves to jump up im my lap and sleep for hours. Or at least until she puts my legs to sleep and I make her move. If nothing else - she keeps things hoppin.

Me:

Christmas Break was wonderful. We kept the girls several nights, I slept late, I spent time with the family...and then it ended. Back to work I went. For one week. My sweet friend Chrystal was in town and we wanted to spend time together so we visited at Starbucks and then went to Plano to see Saving Mr. Banks. I rode to Plano with her. We sang BELTED Disney tunes the whole way there. The movie was fabulous. Seriously - I loved it. As we walked out Alan commented, "That'll be added to our movie collection." He's a smart man. On the way home I was tired and the next morning I woke up to an elephant sitting on my eyes. Not really - just felt like it. My head hurt sooooooooooo bad. It got worse through the weekend and I was eventually diagnosed with an upper respiratory infection AND the flu. That's not fun stuff. So I stayed home for a week. Christmas break - work one week - home one week - have Monday off. I could get used to this! I discovered this week that 'belonging' in a community makes life so much better. (Maybe I'll blog about that...maybe). Friends took care of me with care packages and well wishes. Wonderful.

This week I am better and so I went to auditions for The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. I so appreciate our theater! (Perhaps another post?!) I think I relax just walking through the doors. And such sweet friends there. Yeah -- I'll have to write about it sometime! (hehe)

That brings us to today. I'm at work (shhh...don't tell anyone). I have no students today. One is out and is quite ill. We both caught the flu at the same time. I'm recovered - his settled in his chest and he is very sick. If you are reading this and you are the praying type - please say a prayer for him and his healing/recovery. If you prefer - good mojo/thoughts/karma his way? Tonight I will take Rissa to her second dance class. I LOVE that she is loving it. I can. not. wait. for her recital this semester.

And just like that - I've run out of things to say. Thanks for sticking with me and reading my boring, pictureless blog about basically nothing. :) (Dad -- now you know what's happening around here! :))

And since you stuck it out -- here's a picture of my fur-nurses last week...aren't they sweet?

The girls curled up with me -- that's about where they were all week

Lily all cozy in the blankets...

Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real

I was going to play Catch-up...but then I decided that would be too difficult. I still have an Icemaggedon post to do...a Christmas post of 12 to do...and so much more...someday folks...someday. In the meantime -- let me do a Pretty-Happy-Funny-Real.

Pretty
Ok - this one is actual 'old' and there's a whole post for it too...
Alan and I took Clarissa and Allison to have their pictures taken for their family as a Christmas gift to the family members. This is one of my favorite shots...

Aren't they gorgeous girls?!

Happy

Lily has graduated from obedience classes. She has successfully completed all 3! She even passed her CGC (Canine Good Citizen) test! What that means is that in controlled situations (and generally overall) she is a polite puppy to be around. Unless of course you come to our house...then all bets are off. They always take 'graduation' pictures for me. Here's my little graduate!

Funny

3 things win in the funny catagory:

1. I was trying to get a picture of Lily one morning and she turned her head as if to say, "This is my good side mom..."

2. On Saturday afternoon Ally and Rissa spent some time with us. (We went to eat with Kerchak from Tarzan!) When Ally woke up her hair was A MESS...it's the sign of a really good nap!

3. Our previous pastor, Gary, always had a picture to pass to dueling couples in the couples Sunday school class. The first one was a chihuahua and a chinese crested. The crested was yelling at the chihuahua and the chihuahua was OBVIOUSLY cringing. There have been others and anytime I see one I try to send it on...this is the latest one! (Why is it always the crested?!)

Real


This girl....

For Christmas this year Alan and I sent gifts to children in a foster home in China. WE sent gifts to a boy and a girl. This is Esther.

We sent her some things. She is an orphan. She needs a family as do many others. I've posted about this before. I know we can't all go...but we can all do something. What can you do? Pray? Give? Go? This girl...for her, and many others...I pray. (click this link to see the boy we sent gifts to..his name is Brendan.)

Ok - so sometime in the future perhaps I'll catch up -- but honestly - please don't hold your breath! :)